any zebralight use PROTECTED 18650 cells?

prefer handheld, with side button and end reflector

???

SC62 might be the last one? It's also a great light...

Generally speaking you don't need or want protected cells in a ZL. The turbo mode can easily trip overcurrent protection and the light has its own built-in low voltage protection.

It stinks if you already have a bunch of protected cells that are too big to fit but new batteries are pretty cheap compared to a ZL. Or you could very carefully strip the extra wrapper and protection circuit off of an old cell.

Of current models, only the right-angle lights are long enough for protected cells.

holygeez03 said:

SC62 might be the last one? It's also a great light...

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and my fav of them all!

I wonder if there there any MK II generation Zebralights that don't accept average length protected cells?

ven said:

and my fav of them all!

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Thanks.

Ordered.

turbodog said:

Thanks.

Ordered.

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Which sc62 flavour? I have the sc62(6300k which is pure white..............nice for cool white) and the sc62d, a meagre 320lm of luxeon T 85 CRI 5000k ..............which is my fav of all.
2 on the left

ven said:

and my fav of them all!

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Second favorite for me (SC62w)... after my H52Fw.

You really don't need protected cells. From Zebralight's feature list:

Builtin battery protections with continuously monitored temperature, current, and voltage, plus a (2.7V) low voltage cutoff.
Battery reverse polarity protection.

This is true, however some(not saying turbodog is) simply want some more piece of mind, or it could be they have some protected cells already. Personally i am with you, i dont want or care or feel the need for protected cells. In fact some i have removed the PCB off and made unprotected(various reasons, from a torn wrapper to simply wanting a shorter cell for a fussy light)

That has got me thinking now(dangerous stuff!), i dont think or can remember off the top of my head, seeing LVP on a light. I am pretty OCD when it comes to cells and charging up ready. I would say 95% of the time(pretty much most of it) i dont see much less than 3.8v. I certainly have not seen one on a ZL yet. I honestly think i would struggle to get there, i would really have to go out of my way deliberately to get there.

SC62W is one of my very favorite lights!

I'll also recommend the SC62cw for both protected and unprotected cells. This light has emerged to be my favorite light of all time. Small, lightweight, powerful and reliable. Puts out a near perfect wall of light with throw. Highly recommended.

ven said:

That has got me thinking now(dangerous stuff!), i dont think or can remember off the top of my head, seeing LVP on a light. I am pretty OCD when it comes to cells and charging up ready. I would say 95% of the time(pretty much most of it) i dont see much less than 3.8v. I certainly have not seen one on a ZL yet. I honestly think i would struggle to get there, i would really have to go out of my way deliberately to get there.

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It's tough to get down that far, and I've tried. Zebralight's step-down at 2.8v. So, you go from high to medium, then to low, all while sitting around 2.8v. And, of course the battery rebounds in voltage after each step-down, due to less voltage sag. After that, it just keeps putting out a low light, because an 18650 still has enough energy at 2.8v to provide the few milliamps necessary for a low output. I let mine run for a couple of hours like that, and when I measured the battery it still was around 2.8v.

So, I think the only way you'd trigger LVP is if you put the light down and forgot about it overnight.

Maybe I'll try another test some time, and see how long it will run after stepping-down.

That's why I don't worry much about LVP on lights that don't have it. You get so much warning time, it's not really a problem unless you forget about the light.

It would be somewhat easy to have a ZL on a sub-lumen mode and leave it that way in storage without realizing it's on... that would surely trip the low voltage shutoff... albeit it after potentially many days/weeks.

I can't believe no one has tested the low-voltage protection on a ZL yet? With a protected 18650, I would be curious what trips first... the light or the battery?

holygeez03 said:

I can't believe no one has tested the low-voltage protection on a ZL yet? With a protected 18650, I would be curious what trips first... the light or the battery?

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I've done it a few times with some junk cells, old laptop pulls. Once by accident. These were unprotected cells. I believe it measured around 2.68v on my DMM but I can't remember exactly. I think a protected battery would stop a little higher, possibly dependent on the brand?

holygeez03 said:

It would be somewhat easy to have a ZL on a sub-lumen mode and leave it that way in storage without realizing it's on... that would surely trip the low voltage shutoff... albeit it after potentially many days/weeks.

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Or many months, if the battery is full.

markr6 said:

I've done it a few times with some junk cells, old laptop pulls. Once by accident. These were unprotected cells. I believe it measured around 2.68v on my DMM but I can't remember exactly. I think a protected battery would stop a little higher, possibly dependent on the brand?

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I think protection circuits vary from about 2.5v up to about 3.0v. You're right, it really depends on the brand. Your 2.68v shows there's no problem relying on the Zebralight LVP, since that is well-above any safety concern.

ven said:

I would say 95% of the time(pretty much most of it) i dont see much less than 3.8v.

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When the SC62d first came out, the only batteries Zebralight offered on their website were protected, with a mint green Zebralight wrapper (still using one from back then, circa 2014?)

Seems like my 62d's have seen 3.6ish but never a single blink on battery check from what I remember, and never has any protected battery of mine gone into a low volt disconnect. Depending on anticipated near-future use, it is usually easy to charge the battery when the first battery check results in 2 blinks instead of 3, and then it is usually about 3.8V or above, seems like.

Got back in town last night and the light had arrived.

Wanted to share cells with another 18650 light... which were protected.

Interesting thing... on high/low the light steps down about 3 levels within a few seconds as if it's having trouble holding cell voltage. But on high/high it's perfect. Weird.